Keys to Defeating Cornell

• Limit the mental mistakes

Yale did not look like a team playing its first game of the season last Saturday, but that isn’t to say the team didn’t make any mistakes.  From sloppy special teams play to secondary breakdowns, there were major flaws that could be exposed by a smarter opponent such as Cornell.  This is a contest that could be decided by a missed field goal or a dropped punt.  Coach Paul Rice will have to clean things up with his special teams outfits this week to secure a victory.  The secondary is a talented bunch, yet we often see opposing receivers darting downfield with no Yale defender in sight.  This all boils down to communication and understanding the schemes, so we should see a marked improvement from week one to week two.

• Fluster Dalton Banks

Banks threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns on the Bulldogs in our loss last season.  The defensive line could not generate enough pressure to limit Banks’ effectiveness.  The defensive line this year is a whole different beast and each position has 2-3 players capable of starting.  Tyler, Callender, and company dominated the line of scrimmage last week and a similar level of performance will cripple Cornell’s offense.

• Keep Cornell Guessing

Cornell always seems to have a solid gameplan in place when they face Yale.  Last season, Cornell shut down our offense (in the pre-Rawlings era) and found enough holes in our defense to beat us 27-13.  With three great runningbacks and a receiving corps that could be the deepest in recent Bulldog history, Reno can keep Cornell’s defense guessing by utilizing the deep roster at these positions, changing personnel packages, and playing with a faster tempo.  Look for Cornell to key on Williams-Lopez leaving Siragusa, Rouse, or Graham open.  The one-two punch of Salter’s power and Dudek’s cutback ability will eat yards and burn the clock.  If Cornell brings an extra defender into the box, Rawlings should be able to beat them over the top.